China’s Foreign Ministry warns of danger posed to safety of navigation in South China Sea

BEIJING—China’s response to a U.S. warship’s collision with a cargo vessel off Singapore carried a vibe of vindication for its past warnings about a rising American military presence in Asian waters.

Beijing, which claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, has long said the increase in U.S. naval traffic in those waters, including exercises and freedom-of-navigation patrols that challenge Chinese territorial claims, pose a...